The many film festivals and markets that cater to the film and television industry are slowly and surely coming into sync with the digital era. In fairness it’s not easy for an organisation with all its considerations particularly in regard to the overall bottom line to adapt to change. The small independent company on whose business they rely, in the ecosystem of business as ‘real estate agents’ have long had to adapt to the various avenues of the impact of both the digital and the corresponding economic crisis of 2008 which is not over. Recovery has fluctuated due to many factors – connected with the global political arena as it applies to individual countries and collectively as a whole. China sneezes - we catch a cold!

The digital era brings about cost efficiency and saving. It’s exciting the see the sales and distribution companies using the technology to make it easy to access their information. TBOF has long advocated that a company website is the new calling card and the advances in technology has all the advantages of tailoring the website to the sensibility and individuality of a company.

The web and the digital era can never be a substitute for face-to-face personal contact. However companies and individuals need to analyse how to make their event or attending a market relevant to their business model. What can an organization such as MIPCOM, AFM, EFM, Marche du Film do to be different and stay relevant – as a sales and distribution - what markets - do I necessarily have to attend?

It’s an exciting step for the AFM to introduce AFM Screenings on Demand and extend it until March of 2018. It is a shrewd move and a necessary adaptation of the vagaries of the market place and the instruments that are markets and festivals.

In reality and first noted in these pages back in TBOF back in the ’80s with an in-depth interview with Jerry Offsay, and continually reported on over the last four years, the line between film and TV is not blurring - it has blurred (and blurred two year ago).

Further in this issue and headlined with reference to coverage of MIPCOM, “Content Is King But Distribution Is Queen MIPCOM Paves The Start Of The Autumn Round Of Content Events Which Increasing Is Streaming & Creating Cross-Collateralization Seamlessly Across The Platforms Digital & Traditional.”

Dominique Delport, Global Managing Director, Havas Group and Chairman of Vivendi Content, actually said: “Content is king of course, but distribution is queen. We’re living in a world where kings and queens are equal.”

TBOF hopes that this sentiment, while applied to the creation and distribution of content, will also apply in the workplace and the work force around the world.

Using some latitude of artistic and intellectual license, and further applying that analogy to the digital arena – the manner in which we used to do business is outmoded and archaic, and if we don't adapt - suggests a lack of respect to the ‘collective spiritual’ and economic FACT – that the consumer does not care how ‘the business of film and TV segregates CONTENT – he/she/they want CONTENT on DEMAND - how, where and when they want to view.